Endless detentions of Bahraini youth, Non-stop beheading of Saudis
On Wednesday 20th August, three young people from Daih town were detained. Mujtaba Abdul Nabi and Saeed Mohammed Saeed were detained after being summoned to the police station. The third person, Ali Habib, the grandson of Sheikh Ali Al Jidhafsi was detained at the Bahrain-Saudi causeway on his return from visiting the holy shrines in Iraq. The arrests came after the three had been given six months jail sentence for participating in a peaceful protest. Also, regime’s security forces arrested a Bahraini citizen upon his return to the country. Ahmed Yousuf Al Mahoozi (from Mahooz town) was returning from Iraq where he had participated in the Arba’een processions. He was led away to unknown destination.
Five native political prisoners have been sentenced to one year jail term for their pro-democracy activism. Hussain Al Qaidoom (from Sqaya town), Abdulla Hussain Al Mawt (Sanabis), Hussain Ali Ahmed (Sanabis), Salman Abdul Razzaq (Maqaba) and Mohammed Abdul Razzaq (Maqaba) were targeted by the regime for revenge. They were detained from the street on 17th January.
The family of senior political prisoner, Abdul Hadi Al Khawaja has expressed serious concerns for his health. His daughter, Maryam tweeted the following: “Denial and obstruction of medical care has become one of the most dangerous tools of repression in Bahrain’s prisons — a “slow-death policy” that has already cost the lives of several political prisoners and continues to put Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja at grave risk.”
The Bahraini Committee for Prisoners Affairs has revealed that 30 native hostages were moved from Bloc 17 at the Dry Dock Prison to the notorious Jau prison. They are all over 18 years of age now. They were placed at Bloc 1 in the Southern wing of the prison. This step followed the recent storming of Bloc 17 by the regime’s forces to quell an uprising. Scores suffered severe injuries in the criminal attack.
The families of Bahrain political prisoners have been targeted for revenge by the khalifi regime. Scores of housing applications from the families of political prisoners have been frozen. Housing benefits to their families have also been frozen. At least 25 cases have been recorded. These include 19 frozen applications and six refused applications. This is in contravention of international protocols and local laws that emphasise equality among the citizens. This is likely to lead to more acute housing problems for the people and could also lead to wider anti-regime protests.
The families of two political prisoners have expressed extreme concerns about the lack of contacts from them. Ali Hussain Al Zaaki and Mohammed Mirza Mohammed Ali Abu Hassan who are held at the Dry Dock Prison, have not called their families for several days. A fire and a police attack on one of the buildings housing juvenile prisoners have added to the fears of the families. There have been no visits or phone calls from them since last week. The police assault has been a serious one. Political prisoner, Hussain Ali Mhanna has continued his hunger strike in solidarity with the people of Gaza. He is in his second week of the strike and his body has already weakened. He was repeatedly transferred to the prison’s clinic. He insists on continuing his action as a humanitarian gesture.
The mother of political prisoner, Abdulla Yousuf Al Mo’athen has appealed for his immediate and unconditional release and insisted on his innocence. She said: “On 16th January security forces disguised in civilian clothes stormed our house in Samaheej town. They kidnapped my son who was born in 2005 and is a student at the Engineering college, University of Bahrain. Officers at the local police station said they had no knowledge of the arrest. He called us the following day and asked for some clothes. He was given a one year prison sentence. I appeal for his release to continue his studies.”
Over the past three days Saudi authorities executed five Somalis and two Ethiopians for smuggling hashish. 182 individuals have been executed for non-lethal drug offences in Saudi Arabia in 2025, of whom 135 were foreign nationals, including 36 Somalis and 30 Ethiopians. The execution of Jalal Labbad, a Saudi youth convicted of alleged crimes committed as a minor, destroys authorities’ claims to have ended this violation of international human rights law. It also raises grave fears for other child offenders on death row.
The Saudi authorities have confirmed the execution of a political activist from the Eastern Province. Jalal bin Hassan bin Abdul Karin Labbad was beheaded on Friday 22nd August after being convicted of false charges including the “killing of a judge” working in the endowment and inheritance department of Qatif Province. He was also accused of membership of a “terrorist organisation”. No credible evidence was presented to the court.
On 21st August, a Saudi court reduced the prison sentence of a woman prisoner. Manahel Al Otaibi, a woman human rights activist had been given 11 years jail sentence for spearheading women activism in Saudi Arabia. But on appealing the sentence, it was reduced to 5 years, followed by a travel ban for five years also.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
27th August 2025